More than 400 diplomats and scientists met in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, for the first-ever Group of 77 High-Level Conference on Science and Technology. ICTP sponsored a multimedia exhibit and booklet describing the Trieste System, a unique network of international scientific institutions headquartered in Trieste that focusses much of its research and training activities on scientific capacity building in the South. The Third World Academy of Sciences (TWAS) organised the conference's three scientific workshops on information technology, biotechnology, and applications of appropriate technologies for greater access to safe drinking water. With 134 members, the G-77 serves as the primary voice for developing countries within the United Nations system.